The Daily Dose/May 5, 2020
By Gaylon Kent
America’s Funniest Guy
Leading Off
Notes from around the human experience.
Leading Off will return.
Today At The Site
Writing worth reading. Usually.
The Diary of a Nobody: Little goes right for Sparrow today. Today’s Diary.
I had plans today…They did not work out.
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On This Date
History’s long march to today
In 1961 – Astronaut Alan Shepard becomes the first American and the second human to reach space, flying a sub-orbital flight aboard Freedom 7. Shepard’s flight lasted 15 minutes, reaching an altitude of 101.2 nautical miles (about 116 statute miles) and in 1971 Shepard commanded Apollo 14 and became the fifth human to walk on the moon. Shepard had graduated from the US Naval Academy in 1944 and had served in the surface Nacy before becoming a pilot in 1950 and retired as a rear admiral. In April, Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin had become the first human to fly into space.
In 1973 – Secretariat, ridden by Ron Turcotte, wins the 99th Kentucky Derby by two-and-a-half lengths over Sham. Secretariat won in a time of 1 minute, 52 and ⅖ seconds, breaking the record of 2 minutes established by Native Dancer in 1964 and the record that still stands. Secretariat would later win the Preakness and Belmont Stakes to become the first Triple Crown winner since Citation in 1948.
In 1973 – Dawn Featuring Tony Orlando is at #1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 for the third of four consecutive weeks with Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree. It was the second of three #1s for the group (Knock Three Times, three weeks, 1971; He Don’t Love You (Like I Love You, three weeks, 1975) and their third of six Top 10 hits. The song went to #1 in eight other countries, including Norway and Great Britain, was Billboard’s #1 song of the year and placed 46th on their 60th Anniversary Hot 100 in 2018. A version that year by Johnny Carver titled Yellow Ribbon went to #5 on Billboard’s country chart.
Quotebook
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever.
Where was all this infinitesimal matter before it was set in motion by mind?/Everywhere./No real answer./Perhaps no real question. – Gore Vidal, Creation
Answer To The Last Trivia Question
It’s not who you know, but what you know.
The Athletics of Philadelphia won the 1871 National Association pennant with a 21-7 record.
Today’s Stumper
Cheaper than Trivia Night at the bar.
Who was the first horse to win the Triple Crown? – Answer next time!
